Lacandonia schismatica
Lacandonia schismatica E.Martínez & Ramos
Lacandonia schismatica is a myco-heterotrophic plant species in the Triuridaceae family, native to the Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas, Mexico. It is distinguished by a unique floral structure where stamens are centrally located and surrounded by 60 to 80 carpels. Pollen tubes grow from the anther backward through the stamen and into the pistil. The species is critically rare and is one of only two in the genus Lacandonia, the other being Lacandonia braziliana.
Description
Lacandonia schismatica is a plant in the Triuridaceae family, found only in the Lacandon Jungle of southern Mexico. It forms a symbiotic relationship with fungi and is myco-heterotrophic. The species is characterized by a floral structure with stamens at the center and a ring of 60 to 80 carpels around them. Pollen grains do not disperse from the anther; instead, pollen tubes grow backward through the stamen, across the receptacle, and into the pistil from below. This unusual reproductive mechanism is unique among flowering plants, with a similar but not identical process found in some Albuca species. The plant is critically endangered, with very few known populations. It is one of two species in the genus Lacandonia, the other being Lacandonia braziliana.
Distribution
Mexico Southeast
